How much do you know about science topics?
Test your knowledge of science facts and applications of scientific principles by taking our 11-question quiz. When you finish, you will be able to compare your scores with the average American and compare responses across demographic groups. Our nationally representative poll of 4,464 randomly selected U.S. adults was conducted on Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel between Jan. 7 and Jan. 21, 2019. The analysis of the findings from the poll can be found in the full report, “What Americans Know About Science.”
Question 1 of 11
Oil, natural gas and coal are examples of …
Fossil fuels
Biofuels
Geothermal resources
Renewable resources
Question 2 of 11
A scientist is conducting a study to determine how well a new medication treats ear infections. The scientist tells the participants to put 10 drops in their infected ear each day. After two weeks, all participants’ ear infections had healed. Which of the following changes to the design of this study would most improve the ability to test if the new medication effectively treats ear infections?
Create a second group of participants with ear infections who do not use any ear drops
Create a second group of participants with ear infections who use 15 drops a day
Have participants use ear drops for only one week
Have participants put ear drops in both their infected ear and healthy ear
Question 3 of 11
Which of the following is an example of genetic engineering?
Inserting a gene into plants that makes them resistant to insects
Growing a whole plant from a single cell
Finding the sequences of bases in plant DNA
Attaching the root of one type of plant to the stem of another type of plant
Question 4 of 11
What is the main cause of seasons on the Earth?
The tilt of the Earth’s axis in relation to the sun
The distance between the Earth and the sun
The speed that the Earth rotates around the sun
Changes in the amount of energy coming from the sun
Question 5 of 11
These graphs show the monthly precipitation and average temperature for three cities in the United States over the course of one year. Based on the graphs, which city has the greatest annual range of temperatures?
Chicago, Illinois
Los Angeles, California
New York, New York
They all have the same annual temperature range
Question 6 of 11
The time a computer takes to start has increased dramatically. One possible explanation for this is that the computer is running out of memory. This explanation is a scientific…
Hypothesis
Conclusion
Experiment
Observation
Question 7 of 11
Many diseases have an incubation period. Which of the following best describes what an incubation period is?
The period during which someone has an infection, but is not showing symptoms
The recovery period after being sick
The effect of a disease on babies
The period during which someone builds up immunity to a disease
Question 8 of 11
When large areas of forest are removed so land can be converted for other uses, such as farming, which of the following occurs?
Increased erosion
Colder temperature
Decreased carbon dioxide
Greater oxygen production
Question 9 of 11
An antacid relieves an overly acidic stomach because the main components of antacids are …
Bases
Acids
Neutral
Isotopes
Question 10 of 11
Which of these is a major concern about the overuse of antibiotics?
It can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria
There will be an antibiotic shortage
Antibiotics can cause secondary infections
Antibiotics will get into the water system
Question 11 of 11
A car travels at a constant speed of 40 miles per hour. How far does the car travel in 45 minutes?
25 miles
30 miles
35 miles
40 miles
You answered questions correctly
You scored better than of the public, below of the public and the same as .
See how your results compare with the 4,464 randomly sampled adults that took part in our national survey and review how you responded to each question. For more findings from the survey, read “What Americans Know About Science.”
These percentages reflect only the 4,464 adults that took part in the national survey; online quiz results are not included in the sample.
Your responses and demographic breakdowns
| Your Answer | Correct Answer | ||
|---|---|---|---|
